Pretty Much Perfect
by Leonhart17
Summary: *One Shot* Short sequel to 'Ripples'. Willow and Tara have their baby...


As requested by 9kodama - Willow/Tara post-Ripples baby!fic! I hope you like it! And this has kind of given me baby!fic fever, so there might be more parts to this eventually...feel free to give me ideas or something if you want to see more...though no promises on how long it would take me to get it written...

(it should be noted that I've never had a kid and never intend to, so baby knowledge is based on being there the first day my godkids were born, and second hand stories about giving birth...)

* * *

Buffy was asleep when scrambling footsteps on the stairs jolted her awake. Her bedroom door was open, but she'd left it open when she had gone to bed, wanting to be able to hear if anything disturbed the peace of their house. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up since Willow had entered her last month of pregnancy. She was up and moving before she realized what was happening, bumping into Tara in the hall. The witch's eyes were wide and she was obviously panicked. Buffy grabbed her friend's shoulders, holding her steady. "Tara, what's going on? What's wrong?"

Tara blinked at her in seeming incomprehension. "Willow…"

Buffy shook her lightly as the witch didn't say anything further. "What's wrong with Willow, Tara? Where is she?"

"She wanted some juice, but when I came back…" Tara said, and Buffy moved one hand to her friend's cheek, turning her head to meet her eyes. Tara blinked again, her eyes focusing. "Buffy, Willow."

"I got that part," Buffy said in exasperation. "What's going on?"

"Her water broke," Tara said, eyes looking over her shoulder toward her bedroom. "She's in labor."

Buffy paled, swallowed thickly. "Okay, so what do we do?" she asked, starting to catch Tara's panic.

"I don't know!" Tara said sharply. "She's going to have the baby, Buffy!"

The Slayer took a deep breath, forcing herself to be calm. "Okay, Tara, just breathe. Willow gave us like six written plans for this, remember?" she said, smiling reassuringly as Tara's trembling fingers found her wrist. "She's going to be fine. You wake up Dawn, and go downstairs and wake up Xander, okay? Get him to call across the street, and tell Dawn to get Willow's bag."

Tara nodded, grateful that Buffy had taken charge. "What are you going to do?" she asked hoarsely.

"I'll get Willow and we'll meet you all in the car, alright?" Buffy said, meeting her eyes. She smiled reassuringly. "She's going to be fine, Tara. I promise." Tara's eyes jumped to her bedroom as they both heard Willow groan. "I'll get her," Buffy said immediately. Tara nodded, her eyes wild again, but she closed them briefly, taking a steadying breath before moving to Dawn's door.

The girls separated, and Buffy moved quickly toward the witches' bedroom. "Will?" she asked as she entered, hearing another groan.

"Buffy," Willow gasped. "I'm in here," she said lowly.

The Slayer moved quickly to the bathroom, finding Willow leaning against the wall, one hand on her swollen belly. The old friends' eyes met, and Willow mustered a strained smile. "How you doing, Will?"

"In labor, Buffy," the witch returned. "Other than that, perfect."

Buffy grinned, moving to support her friend, guiding Willow's arm around her shoulder. "Tara's freaking out," she said, catching Willow as another contraction caused her knees to buckle. "I've got you, Willow," she breathed, bending her knees to slip her other arm under Willow's knees, lifting the witch into her arms. "Let's get you in the car."

"Not a bad idea," Willow gasped, laughing shakily. "Tara's okay, right?"

Buffy nodded as she maneuvered them carefully out of the bathroom, walking slowly with her burden, feeling the floor in front of her cautiously with one foot before taking a step. "She's okay. Just panicking. I sent her to get Dawn and Xander ready to go. They're calling Giles and Faith."

"Good," Willow gasped. "Was that plan D?"

The Slayer laughed, edging her way down the stairs cautiously. "I didn't check, Will," she confessed. "We're pretty much just trying to keep it together here." The witch's back arched as another contraction hit, and Buffy froze where she was standing, feet on different stairs. "How close together are they?" she asked, seeing the pain in her friend's face.

Willow shook her head. "I don't know." Her eyes blinked open and she smiled unexpectedly. "There's a stopwatch in the bag. We can time them in the car."

Buffy grinned, laughing. "Okay, sounds good," she agreed. "Want me to check the plan before we go?"

Willow swatted at her friend with one hand. "I think we can wing it," she acceded, groaning.

Xander was behind the wheel when they reached the driveway, and Buffy deposited Willow carefully in the backseat, Dawn in the third row of seats behind the witches.

"Are you okay, Will?" Xander asked, finding her eyes in the mirror as he reversed them out of the driveway, barely waiting for Buffy to get her door closed behind her.

Willow was sweating and pale, but she nodded. "I'm okay, Xander. You remember how to get there, right?"

He laughed, relieved. "Yeah, you taped a map to the steering wheel, remember?"

"It's too dark to read it," she reminded him, looking down as Tara's hand slipped into hers. "You okay?" Willow asked softly.

Tara nodded without speaking, free hand brushing Willow's hair back. The redhead's grip on her hand tightened as another contraction hit her, Willow shutting her eyes tightly as she rode it out. "Willow…"

"I'm okay," Willow said immediately. "Just a contraction. How are you doing?"

Tara shook her head in disbelief, smiling. "How can you ask me that?" she wondered. "You're in _labor_ and you're asking how I'm doing."

The redhead shrugged, smiling weakly. "You're my wife, Tara."

"And you're having our baby," Tara responded, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple.

"One doesn't make the other less important," Willow reasoned, gasping for breath. "You'll always be my wife. I won't always be in labor," she joked.

The blonde laughed despite herself, shaking her head. "So let me do my part of the labor and be jumpy and worried about you, okay?" Tara suggested, Willow's teasing having the intended affect and calming her down. "To answer your question, I'm nervous, and scared, and excited." She combed her fingers through Willow's hair slowly. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Willow shook her head in denial. "Not b-ad," she said, the reassurance interrupted by a hiss of pain. "It comes and goes," she joked as she caught her breath.

Tara glanced out the front window at the city whipping by, smiling as encouragingly as she could to Willow. "We'll be there soon, baby. Just try and do your breathing."

Willow nodded, leaning over her lap and trying to steady her breathing. It didn't take much longer for Xander to screech to a stop in the hospital's driveway, and Buffy jumped out to help Willow out of the car. "Dawn, go get her a wheelchair, okay?" she directed her sister, supporting Willow on one side as Tara took the other side.

"I'll park and meet you guys inside," Xander said, getting a nod from Buffy as she bumped the door closed behind them while Dawn scrambled out of the back and up the stairs.

Giles' car pulled into the loop behind them, Faith joining the pair with Willow. "You got her, Tara?" she asked, the Slayer looking much too calm for having been awoken at three in the morning. "You're looking kind of shaky there, girl," she said, glancing between Buffy and Tara.

The witch nodded, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Faith, but I can get her."

Faith shrugged, grinning. "How you doing, Red?" she asked.

"I'm having a baby," Willow replied, voice strained. Xander and Giles drove off behind them and Dawn reappeared with the wheelchair. Willow's breath of relief as she slumped into it was broken by a hitch in her breathing as another contraction hit her. "Inside?" she requested breathily, Buffy already pushing the chair forward. Faith picked up the front end as they reached the stairs, the Slayers carrying the chair up rather than winding their way through the curving wheelchair ramp.

There was a nurse waiting on them, and she directed the group toward the delivery ward. "I'm Chloe, and I'll be the nurse on duty tonight. Anything you need, let me know. Are any of you going in with her?" she asked, eying the large group.

"I am," Tara said immediately, one hand on Willow's shoulder. "She's my wife."

The nurse nodded. "Yes, ma'am," she said, smiling reassuringly. "It's hospital policy that only one person goes into the delivery room with the patient, but there's a waiting room just outside the delivery ward if you're all planning on staying," Chloe told the others.

"We're staying," Xander announced as he and Giles joined the group. "Lead the way."

The nurse smiled at him, nodding. "This way," she directed them, leading them down a hall that was clearly marked 'Maternity.' They got to the waiting room as another contraction hit Willow. "We'll get you into delivery right away, Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay," she said, consulting her chart.

"Thanks," Willow gasped, looking up at Tara. "You ready to meet our baby, baby?"

"I don't think he's giving you a choice," Xander joked. They had asked not to know the gender of the baby, but Xander had been insisting for months that it was boy, claiming that 'it just had to be a boy because there were entirely too many girls around.' "Good luck, Will, Tara," he said more seriously, kissing Tara gently on the cheek.

"Thanks, Xander," she said, smiling. "Everybody…"

"We'll be out here," Buffy said. "Love you guys," she said, surprised to realize that she was a little choked up.

Willow's hand found the Slayer's hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Love you too, Buffy. See you soon." She smiled. "You can meet your god-kid."

"God-_son_," Xander coughed behind them, grinning happily. Willow grinned back at him, smile faltering as another contraction came. "Okay, I think it's time for you to go, Will," he said even as Chloe guided her wheelchair backwards out of the midst of the group.

"He's right," the nurse agreed, giving him another smile. "Time to go." The others waved as Tara followed her wife in the wheelchair. Chloe directed them into a delivery room, giving the nervous Tara a reassuring smile. "Her doctor will be here in a few minutes to see how she's doing, but in the meantime, just keep her calm, and stay as calm as you can, okay?" she said lowly. "She'll stay more relaxed if you aren't panicking."

Tara took a deep breath, nodding. "Thanks," she whispered. "I've never…we've…I didn't expect to be so nervous," she confessed.

Chloe squeezed her shoulder supportively. "She's your wife. You love her." An orderly came in to help Willow into the bed while Tara and the nurse watched. She smiled as Willow's eyes locked on Tara as soon as she was settled in the bed, looking away from the orderly as he started her IV line. "How long have you been married?" she asked to distract the blonde.

Tara blinked, looking at Chloe and smiling. "Um…four years," she said, her mind so nervous that she had to think. "A little over that, actually."

Chloe smiled, nodding. "And how'd you meet?"

Tara laughed, catching Willow's eye. "Oh, we just kind of bumped into each other in the hall."

"Love at first sight?"

Tara didn't look away from Willow, the redhead holding her gaze. "Definitely," she breathed. _"I love you so much. You know I loved you the first second I ever saw you, right?"_

Willow blinked, nodding with a smile across the room. _"Of course I know that. What brought that up?"_

"_Chloe asked how we met,"_ Tara answered, biting her lip. "Thanks for distracting me," she told the nurse, smiling.

Chloe nodded, giving her a grin. "No problem. I'll be back soon to check on you," she said, moving out of the room as Tara took a slow step toward Willow.

The door closed behind her and the orderly, and Tara let out a deep breath. "She seems nice," Willow observed, smiling weakly as Tara took her hand.

Tara smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Are you okay? Can I do anything?"

Willow shook her head, squeezing Tara's hand. "You're doing it," she murmured, dragging Tara's hand up to press a kiss to the back of it. "Just stay with me," she requested. "And let me squeeze your hand?"

"Of course," Tara said, smiling despite herself. "Thank you, Willow."

The redhead grinned up at her, giving her a confused look. "What for?"

"Having our baby springs to mind," Tara replied, shaking her head.

Willow laughed shakily, squeezing her hand again. "If I recall correctly, you've already thanked me for that," she said, voice teasing. "Remember that trip to New York?" she reminded her wife. "Because I remember being _very_ well thanked." She winked cheerfully. "And we went to the museums."

Tara blushed but laughed, leaning over to kiss her. "I love you," she said quietly as they separated.

"I love you too," Willow said, glancing over Tara's shoulder as her doctor came in.

"And how are you feeling, Willow?" Doctor Fine asked as she checked Willow's chart.

The redhead laughed. "Like I'm about to pop," she said tiredly. "And we're just getting started."

The doctor laughed, nodding. "It'll be worth it," she promised. "Now, I'm just going to check and see how far along we actually are, alright?"

Willow nodded, meeting Tara's eyes as the doctor did what she needed to do under the sheet. Tara pressed a kiss to her forehead, giving her a smile. Willow bit her lip, squeezing her hand and watching as her doctor made notes on her chart. "How's it going down there?"

Doctor Fine smiled without looking up from the chart. "You're at a little over nine centimeters. You have to be at ten before we can get started with the heavy lifting."

"How long will that take?" Tara asked, feeling anxious.

"Just a little bit longer, Mrs. Rosenberg," the doctor promised. "Everything is progressing normally. I'll go get prepped and we can check again in a few minutes. Willow, just keep up your breathing, and I'll be back soon."

Willow nodded, caught up in another contraction and trying to catch her breath. Tara squeezed her hand, leaning her forehead against Willow's temple. "I love you, Willow. You're so beautiful. I love you so much," she whispered.

Willow laughed weakly as her body relaxed. "Tell me that again when this is over," she requested. "The 'I'm pretty' part. I know the 'I love you' part doesn't change," she clarified, turning her head to meet Tara's eyes with a grin.

Tara shook her head, pressing a kiss between Willow's eyes. "You hush," she directed. "Neither part changes. You're gorgeous, and you know it," she said firmly. "Willow, we're going to meet our baby today."

The redhead smiled tiredly. "I can't wait," she agreed. "They're going to be beautiful too."

"Or handsome," Tara added, thinking of Xander's insistence that they were going to have a son.

"Our little boy can be beautiful when he's a baby," Willow objected, still smiling. "Just not around Xander," she added, laughing.

Another contraction hit just as the doctor returned, followed by two nurses with a tray of monitors and equipment. Chloe steered Tara gently to the side, giving her a pair of scrubs. "We're going to get her hooked up and ready to deliver, okay?" Tara nodded quietly, eyes lingering on her wife. "Pull these scrubs on, and we'll see how quickly your son or daughter feels like joining us."

Tara followed her directions in silence, eyes still locked on Willow. The redhead was doing her best to look at all of the equipment that they were hooking her up with, but she was distracted by her ongoing contraction. Her eyes found Tara's as the nurses finished their preparations and she waved, mustering a smile. Tara finished slipping the scrubs over her clothes and was quick to rejoin Willow, taking her hand again.

"You're fully dilated now, Willow," the doctor informed them. Willow gave Tara an anxious look, squeezing her hand. "Are you ladies ready?" the doctor asked kindly, seeing her patient's nervousness. "Cause it's time for you to start pushing, Willow," she prompted.

Willow swallowed thickly, surprised by how loud it suddenly seemed in the room, the bed surrounded by nurses and techs. Tara squeezed her hand again and Willow's focus shrunk to her, giving her a smile. "Don't let go, okay?" she asked, voice low.

"No," Tara said softly, shaking her head as she returned the smile, feeling her fingers tremble around Willow's. "I'm right here."

Another contraction stole Willow's breath and she pushed, squeezing Tara's hand tight in her own, doing her best not to scream. The pain and tension retreated after a long moment and she slumped back into comparable relaxation. "So, that hurt," she commented sarcastically, breathing heavily.

"Baby, are you alright?" Tara asked anxiously, free hand combing through Willow's hair.

Willow nodded weakly. "Yeah, Tara, I'm okay," she said. Tara leaned her head against Willow's, both of them breathing deeply.

"You're doing great, Willow," the doctor told them. "Your friends in the waiting room are quite a handful," she commented, smiling at the couple.

They looked at each other, grateful for the distraction. "What do you mean?" Tara asked, laughing.

"Your blonde friend has been lifting the chairs in our waiting room like they're made of Styrofoam," Doctor Fine clarified. "And the dark-haired girl, the older one, she's almost as bad."

Willow laughed, taking a deep breath. "Faith is worried?" she asked in surprise. "Buffy I expected, but not Faith."

"We haven't even been here that long! They haven't broken anything, have they?" Tara asked. "I can go talk to them," she offered, looking down at Willow as her wife squeezed her hand.

"Not right now, you can't," Willow objected. "You're very occupied right now."

The beeping on the monitors grew quicker, and Willow bore down on her hand as she pushed again, groaning with her eyes squeezed closed tightly.

* * *

Out in the waiting room, Buffy was idly spinning a chair on one finger, the leg balanced on her fingertip. She had it moving slowly, distractedly pushing it along with her other hand. Giles was watching with a frown on his face. "Discretion?" he asked tiredly. "Too much to ask for?"

His Slayer shrugged, keeping the chair steady. "No one is back here but us, Giles," she reminded him. "And I've never been good at sitting and waiting. You know that."

The older man sighed, his head in his hands as he yawned. "I know that," he affirmed. His eyes fell on his roommate Slayer and he groaned. "Faith, put the chairs down," he directed her.

Faith looked up from where she was lying on the floor, lifting a chair in each of her hands repeatedly, as if she was trying to bench press with them. "Buffy's spinning hers!" she protested without putting the chairs down.

"Both of you put the chairs down and _try _and look civilized," he ordered them both. "Please?" The Slayers exchanged looks, putting down their playthings reluctantly. "Why can't you just be calm like Xander and Dawn?" he asked, giving them both tired smiles.

"They're both asleep, G-man," Faith informed him, flopping herself into a chair with her legs over the armrest.

"You could sleep," he suggested, rolling his eyes at her nickname for him. "We're all tired."

Buffy shook her head. "I can't sleep," she objected. "Too much energy." She rolled her shoulders, hopping lightly on her feet.

Faith looked over at her, grinning. "You're some kind of freak, B. Even with our energy, it's too late to be awake." She looked thoughtful. "Unless you're at a club, or doing something sweaty," she added with a grin and wink.

"You've always been the lazy one," Buffy scoffed, brushing pretend lint off her shoulders. Giles jerked her into the chair beside him, shooting Faith a look as the dark-haired Slayer moved to retaliate physically.

"Both of you, just try and relax," he directed. "We've likely got hours more to wait."

Buffy wilted at the reminder, but didn't stay slumped in her seat for long, pacing through the waiting room. "She's okay, right, Giles?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Willow has always been strong, Buffy. And Tara's with her. She won't let anything happen to either Willow or the baby," he reassured her. "I know you're anxious, but all we have to do is wait."

Buffy nodded, still pacing. "I know, Giles." She glanced around the room, smiling fondly at where Dawn was asleep, leaning against Xander's shoulder. She was surprised that Xander had managed to fall asleep, but was glad that he had managed to relax enough to do so. Giles' reassurances had made her feel better, sure that Willow would be safe, even without her there, but she couldn't relax enough to fall asleep, anxious to meet her best friend's baby.

Giles dozed after a while, snoring softly, and Faith stayed in her chair but didn't fall asleep, just contemplated the ceiling in boredom. "This is lame," she declared eventually, glancing idly out the window to see if the sun was coming up yet.

Buffy laughed, leaning against the wall next to the chair Faith was in. "You could go home," she suggested. "I'm actually kind of surprised you're still here."

"Will's not so bad," Faith said, yawning.

Buffy looked down at her, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's not exactly what I meant, Faith. I never expected you to stick around Cleveland so long." She grinned as Faith looked up at her. "I mean, we live in the suburbs." She laughed. "I have a day job!"

"That's because you quit your real job," Faith said, laughing.

"I killed that Ragna demon _last_ week," Buffy shot back. "I'm not exactly retired and spending all my time at the lake. I'm only semi-retired."

Faith shrugged, grinning. "It was attacking your house. It's not like you could let Red take care of it. Tara would have killed you."

"You were across the street, you could have helped," Buffy protested.

Faith considered that, smirking for a moment before shrugging. "I was asleep," she stated.

"It was like two in the afternoon!"

Faith shrugged, shifting herself in her seat so her head was resting more comfortably against the chair's wooden armrest. "Whatever."

Buffy snorted, rolling her eyes. "That's what I mean, Faith. You've never been big on the team-playing. Why are you still here?"

Faith was quiet for a long moment, thinking it over. "Don't really have anywhere else to go, do I?"

Buffy frowned. "Faith…"

"And what can I say? I guess I kind of like you guys." She smirked up at Buffy. "I think we were friends once, before you all hated me. At least I thought we were. As close to friends as I'd ever seen," she admitted. "And the last few years…I guess we got some of that back."

Buffy laughed quietly. "We're friends?" she asked, faking incredulity.

Faith nodded with a yawn. "Guess so," she agreed. "Don't tell anybody though."

Buffy grinned, leaning her head back against the wall and trying to relax as she waited.

* * *

A long final scream heralded Willow's last push and it took her a long moment to realize that the sound of screaming was still echoing in the room. She pushed her head up weakly, blinking to clear stinging sweat from her eyes. "Tara?" she panted tiredly.

"Congratulations," Dr. Fine announced. "It's a boy."

Willow thought her heart had been beating quickly before, but as soon as the doctors moved out of the way from cleaning him up, giving her the first glimpse of her son, her heart was suddenly beating triple time. "Wow," she breathed. "Look at him."

Tara's hands were shaking as they handed her the baby with a smile. "He's beautiful," she whispered, smiling down at Willow.

"Told you," the redhead responded with as much smugness as she could manage.

Dr. Fine laughed. "The hard part is done, Willow, but you're not quite finished yet. You can take a few minutes to rest though."

Willow slumped into the bed wearily, her eyes locked on Tara and their son. She swallowed thickly, tears joining the sweat sliding down her face. "Tara…"

The blonde leaned over, handing the baby to Willow. "I love you," Tara breathed into her ear. She pressed a kiss to her temple.

Willow was caught up in looking over their son carefully, smoothing a hand over the top of his head and counting his fingers. Tara brushed sweaty hair back from her face, feeling an uncontrollable urge to touch Willow. "He is beautiful," Willow agreed, turning her head to smile.

"So are you," Tara said quietly. Willow's smile was proud and pleased, and she leaned up for a kiss. Tara happily supplied it. "How are they?" she asked the doctor, looking up.

"He's hungry, but everything looks normal and healthy. Willow, if you want to try feeding him, you can rest for a while," Dr. Fine told her.

Willow nodded nervously, coaxing the baby to her chest. He latched on eagerly, and Willow's eyes widened, meeting Tara's with a smile. _"So much dirty stuff I could say right now,"_ Willow told her.

Tara blushed brightly. _"Willow…"_ she said chidingly. _"Be good."_

"_I'm always good,"_ Willow responded cheerfully. _"You know that better than anyone."_

"How do you feel?" Tara asked aloud, giving Willow a look.

"Tired, but happy," Willow said. "So happy, Tara." Tara stood in silence, watching their son. Willow kissed his forehead as he finished eating, handing him back to her wife. "Want to take him to meet his family?" she asked.

"I don't want to leave you," Tara said softly.

Dr. Fine smiled. "You don't have too much longer, and you can go get cleaned up. Your friends can come in after that."

"Do you know if they ever calmed down?" Willow asked, grinning.

The doctor shrugged. "I'm sure if they'd caused trouble, security would have notified us," she said, laughing.

The girls exchanged looks. "Maybe I should go check on them," Tara suggested reluctantly.

"You're still very occupied," Willow objected, holding a corner of Tara's scrubs in her fingers. "They'll be fine, Tara."

"We'll get finished as quickly as we can, Mrs. Rosenberg. You're going to have to push for me, alright?"

Willow nodded wearily, and Tara gave her another kiss. "You think of a name while I'm busy, okay cutie?" she requested, smiling.

Tara laughed as their son took a deep breath, his eyes closed. "We need to take him to get cleaned up and a few more tests. Would you like to come with us?" Chloe offered.

Tara met Willow's eyes, the redhead nodding tiredly. "Will we be gone long?" Tara asked.

The nurse shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "Just a little bit. She'll be okay, ma'am." Tara got another nod from Willow and she grinned sheepishly, following the nurse. They were walking down the hall when Chloe cleared her throat, drawing Tara's gaze. "So…that guy that came in with you, with the eye patch, what's his story?"

"Xander?" Tara asked, surprised. "He's just a friend." She realized her voice must have sounded defensive as the nurse gave her a smirk.

"I thought he might be a brother or something," she said.

"Oh, well, he is pretty much Willow's brother. They've been friends since kindergarten."

"So, is he dating one of those girls that came in with you guys?"

Tara blinked in realization, laughing. "You like Xander?" she asked. "And no, he's absolutely not dating any of them." She grinned. "Want me to put a good word in for you?" she offered as the nurse blushed.

"He's cute. And he seems nice, coming down here to wait on you guys to have your baby," Chloe defended herself.

"He's a sweetheart," Tara agreed. "And you've been much more patient with me today than you had to be." She laughed as the baby blinked up at them, reaching up to grab something, his little hand seizing a handful of her shirt. "I'd be happy to introduce you," she offered, glancing back at Chloe.

"Cool," the nurse replied as they reached the nursery. "We just need to give him his bath and take some quick measurements. Of course, you're free to watch everything." She held her hands up to take the baby, seeing Tara's reluctance on her face. "It'll be quick."

Tara nodded, handing him over slowly and sighing. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. To distract herself from the sudden desire to take him back, missing him already, she tried to think of a name.

His hair was still dirty and dark, and she couldn't tell what color it would be, but she assumed there was nothing to do but wait and see, hoping the whole time that his hair would be red like Willow's. His eyes were blue, but Willow had been telling her how babies' eye color could change after birth, one of her wife's newly acquired baby facts since she'd gotten pregnant. But she could already tell that he had Willow's nose and what looked like both of their fair skin. She was curious if he would have freckles like Willow, hoping that he would.

Various names floated through her head and she paired them with her and Willow's last names, trying to come up with a good combination. _"How's it going, honey?"_ she sent to Willow, feeling the redhead's dull, sore pain.

"_I'm alright. The doctors are leaving, and I'm going to take a shower," _Willow replied.

"_Okay. I'm right down the hall if you need anything, alright?"_

"_Sure, baby. Thank you. How's the little guy?"_

Tara smiled to herself, hugging her arms around her middle as she watched Chloe put the baby on a scale, jotting notes on his chart while he reached slowly for her pen. _"He's good. He's really calm and curious, looking around at everything. Takes after his mother."_

"_I wish I could see you with him."_

"_You will,"_ Tara reminded her. _"Every day. What do you want to call him?"_

"_I squeezed him out, the name was your job," _Willow reminded her, her voice happy and tired. _"What have you got in mind?"_

"_Well, I was thinking that he kind of looks like a Kyle,"_ Tara suggested.

"_Kyle Maclay," _Willow stated. _"It sounds perfect to me, sweetie."_

"_Willow, he should have your name," _Tara protested immediately. _"No one else should be saddled with my family's name."_

"_I have your family's name,"_ Willow reminded her softly. _"And he's our son." _There was a long pause. _"Tara, we have a son."_

Tara laughed, watching the baby swipe a testing hand through the water. _"We have an adorable son, Willow," _she agreed. _"I'm afraid it won't be too long before he learns to splash us in the bath, though."_

Tara could hear Willow groan, though she knew immediately that it wasn't a groan of pain. _"Any troublemaking comes from you, I'm sure," _the redhead teased. _"Because I'm a perfect angel."_

"_Sure, you are," _Tara agreed sarcastically, laughing again. _"Did you make it to the shower okay? How are you feeling?"_

"_Kind of lonely, actually,"_ Willow responded, and Tara could feel her smirk. _"This shower isn't very big, but we've definitely worked with less."_

"_You stop that,"_ Tara chided. _"You know we have to keep our hands to ourselves for a while."_

"_You have to keep your hands to yourself," _Willow objected.

"_You'll be here for a few more days, and we'll just see how you feel when we get home,"_ Tara suggested reasonably. _"I, Willow…what about a name, baby?" _she asked as a distraction.

"_I love Kyle. It's perfect."_

"_You really want him to have my name?"_ Tara asked.

"_Sure. I like having your name. And, I mean, you are the baby daddy in this situation,"_ Willow teased.

Tara rolled her eyes, taking the baby back from Chloe. _"Baby daddy? How lovely to hear how you really feel after all these years,"_ she teased back. _"We're on our way back."_

"_I'm still in the shower, but I'll see you in a minute,"_ Willow responded.

The water had just turned off in the bathroom when Tara came into the delivery room, and she took a seat on the edge of the bed. Willow took several minutes in the bathroom, walking slowly as she came out, holding herself up with one hand against the wall. "Sore tummy," she explained, her other hand on her belly. Tara was quick to put the baby into the bassinet, moving to support Willow back into the bed. She moved to take a seat in the chair next to the bed, but Willow didn't let go of her arm. "Where's my wife going?" she asked petulantly, frowning.

"I don't want to crowd you, sweetheart. You're sore and tired. I won't go anywhere, but I don't want to make you feel worse."

Willow pouted, shaking her head. "I want my family with me."

"Just let me get him, okay?" Tara said, expression softening as she gave in. She leaned over to press a kiss to Willow's forehead as the redhead relaxed into the sheets. She picked up the baby from the carrier, holding him to her chest as she rejoined Willow in the bed. The little redhead squirmed close, resting her head on Tara's shoulder. "Sleepy, baby?" Tara asked softly.

"Yes," Willow said on a yawn. "But I don't want to sleep. I just want to bask."

Tara raised a fond eyebrow, pressing a kiss to the top of Willow's head. "Bask?"

"Yeah," Willow said. "We're holding our son, Tara. Kyle Maclay."

Tara shifted her arm so Willow could reach him, the redhead trailing her fingers over his face gently. His eyes were watching her hand, and one chubby hand reached up to grab her fingertip. She gave it to him, letting him squeeze her finger in his fist.

Willow looked at Tara in wonder. "I think he likes me," she breathed. Kyle's head turned at her voice, and he met her eyes. "Wow," she whispered. "Now there's someone else in the world that can make me swoon just by looking at me."

"Of course he likes you," Tara laughed quietly, combing her fingers through Willow's hair, longer again since she hadn't cut it throughout her pregnancy and still damp from the shower. "We just can't let him find out that he owns us. He'll walk all over us."

"And he's sure to be spoiled by his numerous relatives," Willow said.

Tara nodded, her head resting against Willow's as she watched them. "That reminds me, the nurse has a crush on Xander," she told her. "I told her I'd introduce them."

"Good," Willow yawned. "Xander deserves a good girl, and she seems nice."

"She's been calming me down all night," Tara confessed. "It's been a long time since I've been scared like I was today."

Willow curled closer to her, pressing a kiss to her skin, just above the collar over her shirt. "Aww, honey, I'm fine. There's no reason to be worried."

"I'm always going to worry about you, Willow," Tara said calmly. "You're my wife. That's my right. And you're fine now, so I am too."

"Good," Willow agreed. "Hey, what about a middle name?"

Tara shrugged. "I already picked his first name. What do you have in mind?"

"How about Alexander?" Willow suggested, her fingers brushing over his head as he let go of her hand.

Tara smiled, nodding against her. "I love it," she whispered. "Xander will too, baby."

Willow took her son's hand between her fingers, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kyle Alexander Maclay. I'm your mom, and I love you."

Tara pressed her mouth to Willow's hair but didn't pull away, just holding her. _"God, Willow, do you have any idea how much I love you?"_ she asked, too overcome with emotion to speak.

"Maybe half as much as I love you," Willow responded, whispering. "Introduce yourself to our boy," she prompted, shifting her head so that Tara could see Kyle.

The baby blinked at her and she let out a deep breath. "Hey, Kyle. I'm your…mom's wife?" she asked, smiling.

Willow shook her head, smiling. "I mean, you _are_, but that's not what he's going to call you. How about mommy?"

"So, now I'm the baby mama?" Tara joked.

"You can be mama if you want," Willow agreed. She leaned up, kissing behind Tara's ear. "What do you say, Mama?"

Tara's eyes slid closed, her fingers touching Willow's on Kyle's head. Their gazes met as she opened her eyes, smiling softly. "Kyle, I'm your mama, and I love you so much." She brushed a thumb over his hair, curling her fingers around Willow's hand. She felt Willow yawn as she settled into her shoulder again. "Want to wait for a while before we get the others? You could get some sleep."

Willow shook her head, eyes closed in defiance of her desires. "No, they need to meet him."

"Okay, should I go get them?" Tara asked, smiling as Willow's arm tightened around her waist. "Well, then what do you want me to do?"

She looked up as a throat cleared at the door, smiling as she saw Chloe. "I can go get them for you," the kind nurse offered.

Tara smiled thankfully, curling her arm around Willow's shoulder, her fingers sliding slowly through her wife's hair. "We'd appreciate that. Thank you."

Buffy's back stiffened as the nurse came into the waiting room, meeting her eyes. The Slayer kicked the leg of Faith's chair, getting the other girl's attention as she moved to meet the nurse. "Is Willow okay?" she asked anxiously.

The nurse smiled, nodding. "They're all fine. There weren't any problems with the delivery at all. They're resting now, but they wanted you all to come."

Buffy nodded excitedly, already moving to wake up Xander and Dawn. "It's about time," Faith complained, swinging her feet around to stand up.

Chloe waited patiently while they all got up, leading the way to Willow's room. Xander and Buffy got squashed in the doorway as they both tried to enter at the same time, giving each other good natured glares before Xander moved out of the way reluctantly.

"Will, how you doing?" Buffy asked as she and Xander each took a side of the bed.

"I'm perfect," the redhead breathed, smiling sleepily up at her best friends without lifting her head from Tara's shoulder. Kyle stirred in between them, and Willow shifted him to lift him into view. The Scoobies gasped in happy wonder as they looked at the baby. Willow let her eyes settle on Xander as she announced his name. "Meet Kyle Alexander Maclay," she said, feeling tears burn in her eyes at the expression on Xander's face.

His jaw clicked as he closed it, taking a deep breath. "Will, really?" She nodded, smiling up at him. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course you can," she said, cuddling back into Tara as he took the baby from her. "Let Buffy have a turn too," she added, smiling over her shoulder to the Slayer.

Tara pressed a kiss to her forehead, sure that Willow couldn't stay awake much longer. She exchanged smiles with Dawn. "We heard you guys were…restless in the waiting room."

"That's because it was taking _forever_," Faith agreed. "G-man made us cool it." She grinned. "How'd you guys hear about that? We weren't being that bad."

"The doctor told us to distract Willow in between contractions. What were you doing?" Tara asked, laughing.

Buffy shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just moved some of the chairs…" she muttered, sharing a glance with Faith.

Tara laughed again, combing her fingers through Willow's hair again, feeling the redhead's slow breathing against her neck. She gave Dawn a questioning look, glancing down at the top of Willow's head. The younger girl grinned, nodding to indicate that Willow had indeed succumbed to sleep.

Buffy moved around the bed, holding her hands out. "Okay, my turn!" she declared and Xander handed Kyle over reluctantly. Buffy held the baby up in front of her face. "Okay, little man, here's the deal," she said, grinning as he reached to poke her in the eye. "I'm your Aunt Buffy, and I'm your favorite."

There were immediate protests from Xander and Dawn, and the Slayer stuck her tongue out at them. "Buffy!" Dawn said, stomping her foot.

"You just wait and see," Buffy challenged. "What kid wouldn't love me?"

Faith snorted and Giles rolled his eyes, but they didn't say anything. "Only because you're just like them," Dawn said, grinning proudly at her comeback. "Now, it's my turn with him. Gimme," she ordered, taking the baby from her sister.

"When do you get to go home?" Giles asked.

Willow stirred tiredly, but didn't wake, and Tara smiled against her hair. "Day after tomorrow," the blonde said quietly.

"What time can we come back tomorrow?" Buffy asked.

Tara gave her a smile, shaking her head. "You don't have to come back."

The Slayer shrugged. "No reason for you guys to stay here alone." She grinned widely. "We know you're crazy about each other and could easily keep each other entertained all day, but we want to keep you company, even if you don't need it."

"Thanks, Buffy," Tara said. "I don't think they have any rules about visiting the maternity ward."

"Are they going to give you any trouble about spending the night?" Xander asked, glancing at the door as Chloe walked past.

Tara bit back a laugh, grinning. "No, I don't think so."

"Not, if they don't want Willow tearing the hospital down with her bare hands," Dawn joked, reluctantly handing Kyle back to an insistent Buffy.

Tara smiled against Willow's hair as the Scoobies settled in around the room, small and cramped, but together, their family complete within the ward. "We should have brought you guys some balloons or something," Xander said, wiggling his fingers at Kyle while Buffy rocked him. "We can bring them tomorrow."

Tara laughed, shaking her head. "You don't have to do that," she objected quietly. "No balloons necessary, Xander."

"Sure they are!" Dawn protested. "Balloons, stuffed animals, and flowers are all completely required, Tara."

Willow stirred in her arms, jumping awake suddenly. "Where is he?" she asked, blinking up at Tara.

"He's with Buffy, baby. He's fine," Tara assured her softly.

"He's asleep," Buffy whispered. "You want him back?"

Willow yawned, her eyes already closing again. "No…just let him sleep."

Tara exchanged smiles with the others, Willow curling into her. She saw Chloe walk past, and she gestured, not speaking up quickly enough to catch her. Xander was out of his seat quickly. "I'll get her," he offered, jogging after the nurse.

Tara laughed as Xander disappeared, and Willow tilted her head up. "What are you up to, sneaky girl?" she asked, blinking.

"Up to? Tara's up to something?" Buffy asked curiously, grinning. "Does it involve Xand and that pretty nurse?"

They all heard Giles mutter something, but he was hiding a smile, and Dawn jumped up from her seat to peek into the hall. "Looks like it," Dawn agreed, jumping back toward her chair as Xander turned back toward the room. "You just had a baby today, _and_ you're playing matchmaker?" she asked incredulously.

"Willow did all the work. I've just been panicky all night," Tara said, combing her fingers through Willow's hair. "Chloe helped me out, and she mentioned that she thought Xander was cute, so I told her I'd see what I could do."

"Aww, good," Buffy agreed. "It's about time Xander met a nice girl that doesn't live with him."

The girls were laughing when Xander returned to the room, and he gave them all confused smiles. "What's funny? I missed the funny?"

They kept laughing, and Tara waved a hand, smiling reassuringly. Chloe cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow at her with a smile. "You needed something? Willow, are you alright?"

The redhead lifted her face slowly, blinking tiredly. "I would love some ice, actually," she requested. Tara was starting to move before she realized it, an instinctive desire to take care of Willow making her forget that there were others around to help them. Willow's arm tightened around her, keeping her from moving, but the redhead met her eyes with a knowing look. "Thanks," she said, taking a cup of ice gratefully. She dropped a cube into her mouth, sucking on it with a sigh of relief as she settled back into Tara's shoulder.

"I have the birth certificate here for you to fill out also," Chloe offered. "You just have to put his name, and fill in the blanks and then sign at the bottom."

Tara glanced down at Willow, but the redhead appeared to on her way back toward unconsciousness. "Um…," she said, her right arm pinned under Willow's back.

"I'll fill it out," Xander offered. "I already know all of the answers anyway," he said cheerfully. Chloe smiled as he held out a hand for the clipboard. He hesitated at the top line, pen just over the paper. "You're sure about the name?" he asked, biting his lip.

Tara smiled at him, nodding. "Of course we are," she promised. "Kyle Alexander Maclay," she said calmly.

Xander swallowed thickly, writing the name neatly. He didn't speak as he filled out Willow's section. Buffy blinked as the baby stirred in her arms, his face scrunching up as he woke up. He was crying a second later, and Willow jerked awake. "I didn't do anything!" the Slayer protested, handing him quickly to Willow.

"He's just hungry," Chloe said reassuringly. "He's going to eat a lot for the first few hours."

Xander and Giles exchanged surprised glances, spinning simultaneously so their backs were to the bed. Willow laughed, covering her chest and the baby's head with a cloth so they couldn't see anything. "It's fine, guys," she said.

Neither of the men turned, Xander speaking over his shoulder. "City of birth, Tara?" he asked, coughing.

"Mine?" she asked, surprised. "Why do you need mine?"

Xander held up the clipboard. "I'm filling this out. You're his parent too." He pointed with the pen, the paper lifted up so she could see it. "It says 'Partner' right here."

Tara blinked in surprise, glancing at Chloe. "Birmingham, Alabama," she answered Xander. "You did that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

The nurse shrugged, nodding. "Sure. Like he said, you're his parent too. Changing one word on a form is no problem."

"You won't get in trouble?" Tara asked.

Chloe shrugged again. "Anyone who notices won't care. No worries," she promised.

Xander grinned sideways at her as he finished filling out Tara's section. He stuck the board out blindly behind him. "Sign it and it's done," he said. Tara reached out and took it, grinning to herself as Xander took another look at Chloe. "That was cool," he said. "You know, changing the form for them."

The nurse smiled, winking at him. "Yeah, no problem. Xander, right?"

He nodded, looking surprised that she knew his name. "Yeah. You're Chloe, right?"

"Yep," she said cheerfully. "What are you doing for lunch, Xander?" she asked, laughing as his eye widened comically.

"You can't talk until you pick your jaw up off the floor, Xand," Willow advised, laughing around a yawn as she signed the birth certificate next to Tara's signature, a thrill shooting down her spine as she saw Tara's name paired with hers. She handed it back to Chloe, grinning at the nurse.

"I'll get this entered and bring back your copy," she said, patting the stunned carpenter on the chest. "Let me know about those lunch plans," she told him as she left the room. The girls all burst into laughter behind her, Xander gaping at the door.

"You all knew about this?" he asked incredulously, turning in a complete circle as he started to face them before he remembered why he had been facing the wall. "I was the funny?"

"No, of course not," Tara protested. "She asked me if you were single, and I told her I'd introduce you two." She laughed quietly. "She's really very nice."

Xander nodded, feeling foolish looking at the wall, but knowing that he would feel more awkward watching what was going on behind him. "Am I that pathetic? I'm getting set up?"

"It's not a set up," Willow said. "She asked _you_ out. She just talked to Tara to make sure you weren't dating any of us. Well, of course I don't mean me or Tara, but _them_. Buffy and Dawn and Faith."

Faith snorted. "I think he knows who you meant, Red." Willow stuck her tongue out at the Slayer, retracting it quickly as Tara gave her a pointed glance. Faith grinned gleefully, her arms crossed over her chest. "You're completely whipped, Willow," she laughed, back straightening when Tara's gaze turned to her. The blonde lifted one eyebrow without saying anything while the smirk dropped off Faith's face.

"There's only supposed to be one kid in here," Giles commented, leaning back in his chair with a sigh, his eyes closed.

Willow laughed, yawning helplessly. She glanced down at the slowly moving bundle under the sheet on her chest. She ducked her head under the cover with her son for a few fumbling moments before they both surfaced again.

Kyle hiccupped softly, and Willow put him to her shoulder, patting his back softly. "I'll change his diaper," Tara offered, smiling as Willow handed him over with a sigh of relief.

She finished the task quickly. "Grandpa, do you want to hold him?" she asked, grinning sideways at Buffy when Giles didn't react to the name.

Buffy kicked the leg of his chair to get his attention, smirking. "She's talking to you, Gramps."

Her Watcher glared at her, the look melting off his face as Tara handed the baby across to him. "No one but him is to call me 'Grandpa,'" he stated firmly. "And there will be _no_ 'Gramps.'" Kyle yawned, curling into the older man's chest as he settled in to sleep.

Giles looked up as a camera flashed, Dawn grinning gleefully from behind it. She pointed the camera at the bed next, but Willow yanked the covers over her head quickly. "Don't even think about it!" she warned her friend sternly. "I'm not getting photographed until I can get home and take an actual shower!"

Tara smirked at Dawn, pulling gently against Willow's hold on it. "Come on, sweetie," she coaxed softly, sliding back into the bed with her. "You look beautiful." Willow's head shook under the sheets, the redhead squirming deeper.

"Not falling for it, vixen!" Willow declared, voice muffled.

Tara winked at Dawn and Buffy, the sisters grinning as they exchanged looks. Dawn readied the camera while Buffy moved soundlessly to the side of the bed, fingers sliding to the top of the blanket, ready to pull it down at Tara's signal. The blonde slipped her head under the sheet with her wife, meeting her eyes with a grin in the dimness.

"_Sweetie, baby, love," _Tara started, two fingers brushing over Willow's cheek. _"You're going to want at least one picture from today. And you are beautiful, Willow. Please?"_ She blinked, leaning forward slowly. _"For me?"_

Willow sighed, kissing her softly as she gave in. Tara's hand pushed the blanket up with one hand, Buffy pulling it out of the way as Dawn took the picture. They separated slowly as Dawn took another picture, catching their smiles and soft looks. Willow sighed, arching an eyebrow at their friends. "Satisfied?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

Tara nodded, guiding Willow's head to her chest. "Sleep, sweetie. Thank you," she said quietly. Willow closed her eyes, draping one arm across Tara's waist. Tara tucked the blankets back up over her carefully, laughing quietly as Dawn snapped another picture of them. Willow grumbled for show, but didn't open her eyes, breathing deeply against Tara's neck.

Xander turned around, sure that it was safe if Dawn was taking pictures. He moved to sink into the chair next to Giles, letting out a deep breath. "So, are you going to go out with Chloe?" Buffy asked, grinning at him.

He shrugged, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. After a moment he grinned, nodding. "Yeah, actually, I think I will." He glanced down at himself, realizing that he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt he'd thrown on. "I should go home and take a shower!" He jumped to his feet, pushing at his hair. His eye was jumping around the room, but he settled down as he caught Willow's eyes. "Will, I'm so proud of you," he said, moving next to the bed. He leaned over, pressing a kiss to his best friend's forehead. "Both of you," he added, smiling at Tara.

Willow stirred tiredly, mumbling without opening her eyes, "Thanks, Xander. Have fun."

He exchanged grins with Tara. "I'll talk to you later about the you-know-what," he whispered, squeezing Tara's shoulder gently with one hand.

She nodded. "Thanks. Is it going well?"

"Yeah. She's going to love it," he assured her, winking. "I'll make sure everything is done by the time you guys get home."

Tara smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

He grinned, nodding. He was taking a step back when he bumped into Chloe, the birth certificate in her hand. "Hey," he greeted her, laughing. "Sorry about that."

She shook her head, smirking. "No worries. Tara, this is for you," she said, lifting the paper in demonstration. "I'll just put it over here," she said, putting it on the bedside table, seeing that the blonde had her arms full of sleepy wife.

"Thank you, Chloe," Tara said quietly, not wanting to wake up Willow.

The nurse nodded, moving to go back into the hall. Xander spoke up as Buffy stepped on his foot, yelping and glaring at the Slayer as Chloe paused. "Um, so…lunch?" he stuttered, shuffling his feet.

Dawn giggled, and Faith rolled her eyes. "He's a little rusty, can you tell?" she commented. Buffy glared over her shoulder at the other Slayer, shaking her head minutely. "But he's a great guy," she added quickly, leaning back against the wall with her arms across her chest. "You should go out with him."

"Oh my God," Xander groaned, leaning his head into his hand. "Faith, stop helping me," he ordered in a hiss.

Chloe glanced between the group, laughing. "My shift is over at one," she said. "Pick me up in the parking lot?" she requested.

Xander lifted his head in surprise, grinning. "Okay," he agreed, blinking. Chloe gave him a grin, waving as she left the room. Xander stared after her, eye wide. He didn't speak for a second, blinking. "Do I have a date?" he asked, stupefied.

"Yep," Buffy agreed, grinning at him.

"Whoa," he said, sitting down slowly. "Cool." He grinned at her.

"It's been a while, eh, Harris?" Faith asked, smirking at him.

"Shut it," he told her, pointing. "You're not helpful."

Buffy laughed at them, yawning. "Well, you can give us a ride home when you go change," she said. "Willow's going to be out for a while," she commented, grinning at the couple in the bed.

"Mmh, not sleep," Willow grumbled her denial, the others laughing. Tara hushed her, combing her fingers through her wife's hair. The redhead relaxed, sighing unintelligibly.

"You guys get some sleep," Tara said, smiling. "Thanks for getting up and staying here with us. We'll see you tomorrow?"

Buffy nodded. "I can bring you guys some dinner tonight if you want," she offered.

Tara pressed a kiss against Willow's hair, smiling. "It's okay," she said softly. "We'll be fine." She brushed one hand through Willow's hair. "Probably just be sleeping today," she commented.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. "I'll make sure everything is ready for you guys when you get home. And we'll bring you some breakfast in the morning."

Tara nodded, watching as Giles stood up with Kyle, the baby sleeping peacefully in his arms. He leaned over, carefully handing her son back to her. "Good night," he said softly.

"It's not noon yet," she reminded him teasingly.

"That matters less when you've been awake since three in the morning," he commented, standing up straight. "We'll see you tomorrow, Tara."

She nodded, hugging Dawn as the younger girl squeezed past him to hug the witch. "See you later, Dawn," she murmured, smiling. The Scoobies gathered themselves, leaving the witches alone with their son, the room peaceful and quiet. Kyle was still sleeping, and Tara let her eyes slip closed, feeling Willow's gentle breathing against her neck.

They both woke up when Kyle did, the baby whimpering and then crying. Willow sighed, coaxing him to her chest with her eyes closed. "I guess we've got to get used to this now," she commented, letting Tara's hands pull her to lean against herself.

"Sorry you're not getting any sleep, Will," Tara murmured into her ear, trailing her finger down her wife's arm. "You know I'll help when we get home," she promised. "We'll get everything settled, and I'll take care of him, and you can sleep all day."

Willow leaned her head back against Tara's shoulder. "You're not going to be too busy working on your secret project with Xander?" she asked, voice tired.

Tara smiled against her wife's neck, pressing a kiss to her skin. "You're very sleepy, Will." She let out a deep breath, deliberately tickling freckled skin. "Do I keep secrets from you?"

Willow shook her head against Tara's shoulder. "No," she said lowly, still fighting off sleep. "At least, not that I know of. But I guess that, by definition, would be something I wouldn't know, you know?"

Tara laughed softly, holding her closer. "It wasn't supposed to be a trick question, baby," she said.

"Then, no," Willow said, her head rolling to lean against Tara's.

The blonde smiled. "Then trust me," she said softly.

"I do," Willow said serenely, her eyes still closed. She let out a deep breath, her free hand reaching back blindly to touch Tara's face. She came nearer to poking her eye out, but Tara caught her hand and guided it to her cheek. "Trust you," she breathed.

Tara laughed quietly. Kyle was still eating, and Willow appeared to be seconds away from sleep, and it was all perfect. The redhead groaned tiredly as Tara slipped slowly from behind her, getting up from the bed to turn off the lights and close the blinds, the noon brightness doing nothing at all to deter Willow from sleep. There was a small bed tucked into a corner of the room for spouses of new mothers, but she knew without asking that Willow would protest if she insisted on sleeping apart.

"Your pajamas're in bag," Willow mumbled, and Tara looked over her shoulder to see the redhead blinking tiredly at her, gesturing weakly with her free hand. Tara arched an eyebrow, but changed without comment. Willow lifted her head as Tara came back to the bed, the blonde finding the cup of ice Chloe had gotten for Willow, mostly melted now and left standing upright precariously in between wrinkles in the sheets. Tara held it to her lips, the redhead slurping down the water. "Thanks, baby." She glanced down at herself, laughing. "So, do you think babies can fall asleep while they're eating?"

Tara laughed, shrugging. "I have no idea. Is he asleep?"

Willow nodded, looking down at him. "Can you take him?"

Tara took their son, bundling him into the bassinet. He stirred, but didn't wake up. Willow leaned over to look at him, smiling as she met Tara's eyes. "He's perfect."

"Just like his mother," Tara agreed, brushing Willow's hair back.

Willow yawned, snorting in disbelief. "Sweet talker. Come to bed," she prompted, pushing the button to make the bed flatten out.

"Are you…"

Willow didn't give her a chance to finish, tugging her by the hand to the side of the bed. "Sleep. With. Me. Tara," she stated firmly. She wrapped her arms around her wife's waist and laid back, pulling Tara with her.

"Okay, sweetie, you don't have to tell me twice."

"Apparently I do," Willow disagreed, voice muffled as she buried her face in Tara's neck.

Tara smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Sleep, goofy girl. While you can."

"You too," Willow mumbled, her eyes already closed.

The next day passed in the same fashion as the first, sporadic naps in between feedings and changings, with visits from the Scoobies to make it more interesting. Willow and Kyle were released the second day and Buffy picked them up. Willow sat in the back seat with Kyle, buckling him into his car seat. Tara and Buffy exchanged glances as they pulled out of the parking lot, the Slayer winking with a nod.

"I saw that," Willow commented without looking at them. "I'm not bothered that my wife is keeping things from me, the woman who loves her more than anything and delivered her baby not seventy-two hours ago."

Tara laughed, turning in her seat to smile at her. "Honey…"

Willow waved off her explanation, giving her a sideways smirk. "It's fine," she said. "I know it's nothing bad, or you would have told me."

Buffy laughed. "You're being surprisingly patient for someone who knows there's a secret you're not in on," she commented.

Willow shrugged. "I am a little distracted," she conceded with a laugh.

The Slayer grinned at her in the rearview mirror. "Well, we'll be home in a few minutes, and you'll find out," she offered.

Willow stretched, yawning in her seat. "Cool," she mumbled. "Is it a nap?"

Tara laughed, reaching into the back to rub one hand over Willow's leg. "No, but you can take a nap. I promise."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "We'll keep Kyle from burning the house down or something," she said, smirking devilishly.

Both of the witches shot looks at her. "First time he burns anything, you better have a darn good alibi," Willow warned her.

They pulled into their driveway, Xander moving out of the way where he had been standing looking up at the house. Buffy grinned at him as she parked, getting out of the car. "Everything ready?" she asked while Tara was collecting Kyle and Willow was getting the diaper bag out of the floorboard.

"Yeah, it's all done. It looks good, doesn't it?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"From out here," she agreed teasingly, nudging him with an elbow.

"What are you guys looking at?" Willow asked, peering at the side of the house.

"Nothing, Will," they both said in unison, groaning as the witch grinned gleefully.

"Sure," she agreed doubtfully. "Can we go inside now?"

They nodded, hurrying to open the door for her. Willow noticed a few of her witch squad members lounging around the living room, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about that and she smiled and waved as they greeted her.

Dawn bolted down the stairs a moment later, hugging Willow excitedly. "Come on upstairs!" she said, pulling the witch with her. Willow glanced over her shoulder at Tara, her wife just giving her a smirking shrug.

Xander issued a quick instruction to the witch squad before he and Buffy jogged upstairs after Willow, Dawn, and Tara. They went to the witches' bedroom, Willow glancing around in confusion. "What's up guys?" she asked, looking around at her unchanged bedroom.

The others were quiet, hearing someone coming upstairs. Kelly appeared a moment later, nodding at Xander. "Good to go," she said, grinning.

Willow blinked as a doorway shimmered into existence in the wall beside her. "What's this?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at Tara and the others.

"Surprise," Tara said, smiling. "Open it up."

Willow let the diaper bag slide off her shoulder, opening the door slowly. She gaped as she saw that there was a completely finished and previously nonexistent nursery on the other side. She took several slow steps into the room, turning to stare at her friends. "You guys…how?" She pointed at Tara. "You couldn't have been hiding it, I'd have felt it."

"That's where we come in," Kelly spoke up. "It was your super-hot wife's idea, and Xander did the plans, and we've been hiding it." She grinned, winking at Tara, who shot the younger girl a chiding look, shaking her head.

Willow narrowed her eyes at Kelly, pointing to her warningly. "Watch it, kid," she said, smiling after a moment, knowing how much Kelly liked to pick on her by flirting with Tara. "You did this?" she asked Xander, looking around the room.

He shrugged, grinning. "Yeah," he agreed. "Buffy and Dawn did the decorating."

"How long have you guys been hiding this?" Willow asked, laughing happily.

They exchanged glances. "Two months?" Buffy guessed, losing her breath in a huff as Willow hugged her tightly.

"It's so great guys, thank you!" the witch gasped, hugging Dawn and Xander next, squeezing them both hard. "I love it." She finally moved to Tara, squeezing herself under her wife's free arm. "Thank you," she breathed, smiling up at her.

"You're welcome," Tara replied, giving her a kiss.

Kyle was waking up in her other arm, blinking wide blue eyes around the room. "Check out your home," Buffy said, taking him from Tara as the witch nodded. Willow pulled the newly free arm around herself, leaning against Tara as they watched the Slayer explore the nursery with their son.

"And when he's older, I can take the door out and seal up the wall so he'll have his own room," Xander said, grinning. "Cool kids don't have rooms that attach to their mom's room," he advised them seriously.

"How could I not notice a gigantic hole in the side of our house?" Willow asked.

Xander laughed and Kelly crossed her arms over her chest proudly. "Not to sound arrogant, but we're _good_."

Tara nodded and the younger girl stuck her chest out farther. "You had a good teacher," she said pointedly, squeezing Willow gently. "And you, my love, have been a little distracted lately with being pregnant," she reminded her wife.

Willow's eyes were drawn helplessly to their son in Buffy's arms, the Slayer bouncing him gently in her arms, walking slowly. She felt Tara press another kiss to her hair and she leaned into her wife's arms. "Thank you," she breathed, her hands tightening in the fabric at the back of Tara's shirt, holding onto her.

"Of course," Tara responded.

"Not for the room. It's perfect, and wonderful, and so sweet, but I meant more of a general thank you," Willow said softly. _"Thank you for everything. Thank you for this life."_

"_We built this life together, Willow,"_ Tara reminded her, one hand stroking gently through her hair. _"It is pretty much perfect though, isn't it?"_ She guided Willow's head up by her hair, meeting her eyes and then her lips, kissing her slowly.

"_Getting better every day," _Willow agreed, relaxing against Tara.

* * *

Can anyone guess what show I was watching when I named the secondary characters? (not Kelly, she was in Ripples, but the other two)


End file.
